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Sunday, January 27, 2013

EARTHING : WALKING BAREFOOT MIGHT BE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF GOOD HEALTH

When's the last time you kicked off your shoes and reveled in
the feeling of the Earth under your feet? Been awhile?

It may sound hard to believe, but engaging in this
simple pleasure could give your health a much-needed boost.

Walking barefoot outside, with the soles of your
feet free to mesh with the surface of the Earth – is an activity known as
Earthing, or grounding.

You are an Electrical Being, and the Earth's
Surface is Electrically Conductive

You are an electrical being - your body regularly produces
positive charges, which can oxidize and harm you if excessive. The Earth's
surface is electrically conductive; it maintains a negative charge with its
free electron supply continually replenished by the global atmospheric
electrical circuit.

As reported in the Journal of Environmental and
Public Health:

"It
is an established fact that the Earth's surface possesses a limitless and
continuously renewed supply of free or mobile electrons.

… Mounting
evidence suggests that the Earth's negative potential can create a stable
internal bioelectrical environment for the normal functioning of all body
systems. Moreover, oscillations of the intensity of the Earth's potential may
be important for setting the biological clocks regulating diurnal body rhythms,
such as cortisol secretion."

There is growing research showing that this
connection to the Earth's surface plays a vital role in preventing disease and
as well as offering a host of benefits.

The problem, of course, is that while humans have
historically spent much of their days with their bare skin next to the Earth
(both while walking and sleeping, including on animal skins, which still allow
electrons to enter the body), today this vital connection has been lost.

Modern lifestyle has increasingly separated humans from the
primordial flow of Earth's electrons.

For example, since the 1960's, we have increasingly worn
insulating rubber or plastic soled shoes, instead of the traditional leather
fashioned from hides… Obviously, we no longer sleep on the ground as we did in
times past.

What Happens When You Absorb Free Electrons
from the Earth?

The scientific theory behind the health benefits seen from
this simple practice, is that since the Earth has a greater negative charge
than your body, you end up absorbing electrons from it. This is, in my
understanding, one of the most potent antioxidants we know of and may have an
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect on your body.

To put it simply, it's thought that the influx of
free electrons from the Earth's surface will help to neutralize free radicals
and reduce both acute and chronic inflammation, which is at the root of many
health conditions and accelerated aging.

Earthing Research Shows Significant Benefits

Earthing research has revealed an impressive impact on a
variety of health conditions and was found to offer improvements in the
following conditions:

Sleep disturbances, including sleep apnea

Chronic muscle and joint pain, and other types of
pain

Asthmatic and respiratory conditions

Rheumatoid arthritis

Inflammation

PMS

Hypertension

Energy levels

Stress

Immune system activity and response

Heart rate variability

Primary indicators of osteoporosis

Fasting glucose levels among people with
diabetes

Another invaluable benefit is this: when your body is grounded,
researchers write, "its electrical potential becomes equalized with the
Earth's electrical potential through a transfer of electrons from the Earth to
the body." This, in turn, offers an "umbrella" of protection
against the electromagnetic fields that are now ubiquitous in our environment.

Earthing Prescription

The effects of grounding appear to be so profound that
researchers suggest health practitioners prescribe outdoor "barefoot
sessions". This is as simple as it sounds – you kick off your shoes
and socks and walk barefoot on the grass, the dirt, the sand or whatever
"Earth" is available to you.

Studies suggest that benefits such as pain relief
and stress reduction may occur in just 30-80 minutes of barefoot time a day.